the Citadel is in shambles at that point and, oh yeah, Shepard is dead.

Mine's not.

... the aftermath of the Citadel attack and the assault on Cerberus' station. Certain dead allies will still get content, such as Thane and Mordin, but it's done through post-mortem relics and activities. It appears as if the content organically flows in if you start it at the beginning of that time-frame, whereas it all rushes into availability if you start the DLC right before the end-game.

evil Shepard twin

- The writing's pretty wacky for the main plot, a conspiracy to kill Shepard, but once you realize that it's what they were going for, it ends up being more fun than infuriating. Pure '80s-'90s-esque science-fiction cheesiness, and it's very centered on humor -- though, it's a little jarring against the tone of the rest of the game. Nearly on-par with ME2's Lair of the Shadow Broker, if a bit more nonsensical, but it won't make you forget that you've got to go back to war with the Reapers.

- The level design isn't too bad, more for a polished throwback / ode to the series than designed for difficulty. No infuriating vehicle chases or anything, and the final combat maps (and boss battle) are an interesting send-off for the series. You also get a few neat weapons for the main campaign, if you want to play through it again, like an assault rifle with the overheat mechanic from ME1 and a silenced pistol.

- The post-content interactions with the old squad are a generally positive mixed bag, some being pretty goofy and obviously tongue-in-cheek "farewells" that aren't meant to be taken seriously. You can throw a party in Shepard's new apartment, which is relatively maddening in context with the rest of the story, but the dialogue between the party's guests (your old squad) makes up for it. It's ridiculous and kinda cartoonish, but entertaining and endearing enough for people who know the characters.

- Minigames are equally mixed, save the combat arena. The gambling spots aren't anything special, something I'd never waste any time on (they missed an opportunity by not including poker), and the arcade games aren't very fun, either. They did throw Quasar in there, though, the gambling game from ME1. Surprisingly, the combat arena is actually pretty solid, and you can bring your surviving ME1 and ME2 squadmates along through a decent arrangement of "arena"-style maps. Plus, the "challenges" that show up in the mailbox create a few text-based mini-plots that are fun to notch up. Much better than ME1's combat simulator.

I chose to kill my clone. What happens if you save him?